The Rheem hot water heaters have a good reputation. I have no expirence with the heaters with power vents. I am not sure if this reduces the reliability.

I think Rheem offers a longer warranty. You pay for the additional coverage. Sears sells water heaters with 12 year warrantys. My Sears hot water heater is 17 1/2 years old. No problems so far.

what is the energy factor?
for a standard tank type w/h .65ef is good
you can boost the efficiency by adding an exterior blanket.

best of luck

Thank you both. The energy factor is .67 and I can purchase a 6 year warranty for $50 which picks up after the initial 6 years are up. I have 30 days and need to read the details before deciding if the extended warranty is worth it.

Rheem continues to be a decent water heater - I happen to prefer Bradford White, there warranties are outstanding.

In terms of the life warranties - in your case you are seeking to purchase a water heater with a six year warranty- you can also buy heaters with 9 and 12 year warranties. Just know, that is one of the reasons for the higher cost - you are actually paying for the extended warranty.

A number of things have adversity of the life of the water heater- water condition from the city/village, water softeners, etc.

Within a water heater there is a part that you can/should replace every two years or so(depending upon the water quality used) -it is called the anode or sacrifical rod.

The purpose of this piece is it acts as a "magnet" of the water impurities, therefore the impurities are not attacking the water heater itself.

With that said, you can take a hot water heater with a six year warranty, and with the proper maintenance far exceed that 6 year lifetime.

Good luck!